Marlon Washington '10 stars in Boost Mobile commercials

December 6, 2011

The Bradley graduate will also be featured soon in a national Wal-Mart commercial.

By Ivy Hillman '12

It wasn't long ago that Marlon Washington'10 could be seen walking through campus. Now, to get a glimpse of the Bradley alumnus, you'll have to turn on the television. He stars in a new Boost Mobile ad as "the geek."

"I sent in my headshot and resume and was called in for the geek. Then, I had an on-camera audition and we had to dress up as a geek, so I got a lot of stares from people on the way there," said Washington, who found the casting call on Craigslist.

He was selected for the job pretty quickly.

"After only a few days they told me they wanted to hire me as the geek!" Washington said.

The first ad was shot on Chicago's lakefront. "It was 6:00 a.m. and freezing!" Washington said.

The second ad was shot in Riverdale, Ill., at a Boost Mobile store.

Washington earned an advertising degree, with an emphasis on music and theatre, from Bradley in 2010. His goal in life is to be a professional actor, and he acknowledges that sometimes a written r̩sum̩ isn't enough to find success in that world.

"My only job is acting. That is the career I've chosen, so doing a commercial is great. In the film industry, people like to see what you have done on camera. Now I have more I can show, and I'm one step closer to creating a reel," Washington said.

As an actor, Washington says he is always looking for more work. One of his dreams is to become a game show host.

"I pursue stage and film work in Chicago, and I'm normally working on more than one project. Since the film and stage are two different worlds, it's like balancing two careers. I have an agent that handles the film world, and I handle the stage," Washington said.

Washington will soon be featured in a national Wal-Mart commercial, but admits that every big break is preceded by a few disappointments.

"Auditioning and getting rejected is the main part of the acting life," Washington said, "but when you decide that acting is your chosen career option, the love of performing will outweigh any rejection. So fight for the dream."